Method for forming a port for taking out contents in a container

ABSTRACT

A method of forming in a container a port to facilitate withdrawal of the contents of the container includes making a slit in a flattened tube to form a portion of the boundary of the port. After the slit is made, a piece of covering material is affixed to the tube over the slit. Subsequently, the tube is formed into a container in which the contents thereof may be withdrawn through the port upon removal of the piece of material.

United States Patent 1191 Izumi et al.

METHOD FOR FORMING A PORT FOR TAKING OUT CONTENTS IN A CONTAINER Inventors: Shinjiro Izumi, 17-3 l-larayama l-chome, Urawa-shi, Saitama-ken; Hiroshi Mino; Harumi Watanabe, both of Urawa, all of Japan Assignee: said Izumi, by said Mino and Watanabe Filed: Oct. 30, 1972 Appl. No.: 301,776

Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 1, 1971 Japan 46-86895 US. Cl. 93/35 R, 83/30, 93/1 A,

' 93/8 VB, 93/36 DA Int. Cl B31b 1/84 Field of Search..... 93/36 DA, 8 VB, 35 R, l R, 93/1 A; 83/1, 2, 30, 54

Primary Examiner-Roy Lake Assistant Examiner-James F. Coan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Toren and McGeady [5 7] ABSTRACT A method of forming in a container a port to facilitate withdrawal of the contents of the container includes making a slit in a flattened tube to form a portion of the boundary of the port. After the slit is made, a piece of covering material is affixed to the tube over the slit. Subsequently, the tube is formed into a container in which the contents thereof may be withdrawn through the port upon removal of the piece of material.

6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures METHOD FOR FORMING APORT FOR TAKING OUT CONTENTS IN A CONTAINER SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a method for forming a port for withdrawing or taking out contents of a container and more particularly for forming a port for inserting a suction straw in a container for drinks such as milk, juice or the like.

According to this invention, the port is adapted to be formed in a tetrahedral container formed of a flattened tube, particularly a tube. made of a synthetic resin such as polyethylene, prior to the final forming of the container.

The adoption of the method of forming the port according to this invention facilitates the withdrawing or taking out of the container contents, particularly liquid contents,'and moreover, during the manufacture of the container or bags and the filling of the latter with its contents, the forming of this port can. be effected only ormerely by the addition of a simple process. A container of this kind can be manufactured at a reasonable cost.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of several embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING- a flattened tube as portions of the latter have an opening formed therein prior to being formed into a container;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective viewof the punching die and receiving die shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the flattened tube after the dies have formed a slit therein;

. FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the flattened tube shown in FIG. 3 after such flattened tube has been refolded;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the container formed from the flattened tube having the slit;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of aportion of the container shown in FIG. 5 and taken through the slit and the tape covering the slit;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternate punching die; and

FIG. 8 is a view of the slit made in the flattened tube by the punching die shown in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 1, there is shown a flattened tube 2 which is unrolled from a rolled tube 1 and which passes through a port forming means 5 before it is led between guide rollers 3 and 4. This port forming means 5, as shown in FIG. 2, comprises a punching die 7 having a cut-off portion 6 and a receiving die 8 for receiving this punching die 7. A slit 11, as shown in FIG. 3 is, formed in the tube 2 by punching, with the forming means 5, around one of the folded edges 9, 10 of the tube 2. This slit 11 when developed or unfolded, forms a segmental port as shown in FIG. 4. The direction of the flattened tube 2 which passed through the port forming means 5 is properly changed by guide rollers 12, 13 after having passed through the guide rollers 3, 4. Then the flattened tube 2 is folded in such a manner that the folded edges 9, 10 may overlap each other while the tube 2 passes between each pair of roller groups 14, l4, 15, 15', l6, 16. Thus, the flattened tube 2 present is in the condition shown in FIG. 4.

Next, a tape 18 of synthetic resin material of nearly the same quality as that of the flattened tube 2 rolled on a take-up roll 17 is led out and applied or overlapped on the slit 11 forming the port of the flattened tube 2. The tape 18 is led through or past a guide roller 19 and each tape piece 18 for affixing to the slit 11 is severed from the tape 18 and is affixed by heating to the slit ll of the flattened tube 2 at a position or place between a receiving die 21 and a heat adhesive member 22 while the tape 18 overlapped on the slit 1 l is cutoff by a cutter 20 to a suitable length. At this time, as occasion demands, a thermoplastic adhesion layer may be formed on the surface opposite to the tube 2 and/or the piece 18'.

Thereafter, in forming a tetrahedral container of this kind and filling it with contents, the flattened tube 2 is cut off to a suitable length and at the same time, one end of the cut off tube is heat-sealed. After the filling of the tube with the contents the other end is heatsealed in the usual manner. Thus, a tetrahedron 23 shown in FIG. 5 is formed. When the piece 18' is peeled off in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 6, the segmental port formed by the slit 11 is turned outwardly together with the piece 18 and thus a port for taking out the content is formed. Further, in the embodiment shown in the drawings, both surfaces of the flattened tube are cut out at the same time in the sectional shape of the punching die 7 and therefore it is sufficient to employ only the half of the whole section of the punching die 7. As occasion demands, however, a segmental slit may be formed on only one surface of the flattened tube 2 by employing the whole section of said punching die 7.

When a punching die 24 of the sectional shape in FIG. 7 is employed instead of the punching die 7, a slit 25 as shown in FIG. 8 will be formed. In this case, there is provided an arrangement wherein a relatively large port can be formed.

We claim:

1. A method of forming a port in a container to facilitate withdrawal of the contents of the container comprising the steps of forming a flattened tube having two layers of material joined by two folded edges, making a slit in said flattened tube through both layers of material at one of said folded edges, said slit as initially formed having a configuration corresponding to onehalf of the outline of said port, one end of said slit extending from one folded edge and the other end of said slit terminating at a position spaced from said one folded edge, unfolding said flattened tube at at least said one folded edge, and affixing a piece of material on said tube over said slit, said tube being formed into a container in which the contents thereof may be withdrawn through said port upon removal of said piece of material.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said one folded edge bisects said port.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said flattened tube is formed from a seamless tube of synthetic material.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising folding said tube to form two different fold edges before affixing said piece of material over said slit.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein an uninterrupted portion of said flattened tube extends between said one folded edge and the terminating end of said other end of said slit.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said tube is formed into a tetrahedral container. 

1. A method of forming a port in a container to facilitate withdrawal of the contents of the container comprising the steps of forming a flattened tube having two layers of material joined by two folded edges, making a slit in said flattened tube through both layers of material at one of said folded edges, said slit as initially formed having a configuration corresponding to one-half of the outline of said port, one end of said slit extending from one folded edge and the other end of said slit terminating at a position spaced from said one folded edge, unfolding said flattened tube at at least said one folded edge, and affixing a piece of material on said tube over said slit, said tube being formed into a container in which the contents thereof may be withdrawn through said port upon removal of said piece of material.
 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said one folded edge bisects said port.
 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said flattened tube is formed from a seamless tube of synthetic material.
 4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising folding said tube to form two different fold edges before affixing said piece of material over said slit.
 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein an uninterrupted portion of said flattened tube extends between said one folded edge and the terminating end of said other end of said slit.
 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said tube is formed into a tetrahedral container. 